‘Urgency, Predictability and Certainty’—the words heard over and over again at the first formal and maybe only public House-Senate farm bill negotiating session, as future talks head into private sessions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it perhaps more poignantly than even the two Ag chairs and ranking members. Urgency for Farm Bill Passage-1 Current law expires at the end …
Farm Bill Conference Committee Meets
The farm bill conference committee’s first public meeting Wednesday came with just ten legislative days to complete and pass a new farm bill. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts chairs the committee, working on now his eighth farm bill as a lawmaker. In his opening statement, Roberts told the committee: “Time is of the essence. Let us work together to …
Conaway Offers SNAP Compromise
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway has offered up what he calls a “significant compromise” on nutrition programs in the farm bill. Conaway declined to get into specifics with Politico, but says last week he sent a proposal to his counterparts in the Senate offering a compromise on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He says the offer demonstrates he’s …
NAFTA Talks Continue in Washington
Trade officials from Canada returned to the U.S. Wednesday as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks. Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland resumed talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, but there are so far no major developments on the contentious issues being discussed, including dairy market access and the dispute settlement mechanism, top issues for Canada, …
GMO Labeling Rule Sent to OMB
The White House Office of Management and Budget is reviewing the GMO labeling rule, or the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. Government records show that the Department of Agriculture sent the final rule to the White House on the last day of August. The regulation, according to the Management and Budget Office, is now “pending review.” Legislation to create the …
Glyphosate Lawsuits Numbers Climbing
Bayer AG says the number of lawsuits against glyphosate is rising, adding to concerns about potentially lengthy and costly litigation. Bayer, which recently completed its acquisition of Monsanto, lowered its full-year earnings outlook stemming from delays in closing the deal. Bayer is now integrating the maker of Roundup, which contains glyphosate, into its company. The California lawsuit which set a …
African Swine Fever Accelerating in China
China reported a new case of African swine fever this week, raising risks of a further spread of the disease. The new outbreak is the seventh reported since early August. A Rabobank analyst told Reuters that “it looks like it’s accelerating,” and creating the expectation that farmers will start selling off pigs before they are forced to cull animals if …
Tropical Storm Strikes Coastal Pecan Crop
A once-promising pecan crop bore the brunt of wind gusts and torrential rain from Tropical Storm Gordon, which downed trees, limbs and ripe pecans when hitting the Gulf Coast on Sept. 4. In Baldwin County, the storm dropped nearly 9 inches of rain. Across the bay in Mobile County, rain totals were lower, though wind damage was more widespread. “Before the …
USDA to Implement Regulatory Reforms to Increase Access to Capital in Rural Areas
Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced that USDA is hosting listening sessions to solicit feedback on a plan to increase access to capital in rural areas by streamlining regulations for four Rural Development loan guarantee programs. “At USDA, we know that for many rural communities the regulations that govern our programs can be outdated and difficult to …
Egypt’s Wheat Production Illustrates Global Security Issues
Scientists, including many at the University of Florida, are trying to figure out how to feed 10 billion people worldwide by 2050. As they do, some UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are studying how arid nations can produce enough crops to feed themselves and to avoid civil protests or even war. Egypt, for instance, lacks sufficient water …